what is hardware and software usart

[syide]

Hello,

I want to use PIC 16877 for my project after my reading in this board. Because I'm very new in PIC I have few questions.

1. What is hardware and software usart/uart for Pic 16877 ?
What is the difference between them? What are they used for ?

2. I got final year project about GPS-GSM tracker. How to combine gps and gsm code in one pic ? Because what I understand now we can read the data from gps using nmea protocol and how to transmit them to gsm module? Because as far as I know gsm module will use AT command to transmit the data. Correct ?

If possible can you show the coding, link, step that can guide me for this project ?

Plzz help.

Regards,

syidan

[ECACE]

Syidan,

Please go to the following liks and read up on what a UART/USART is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UART

In a nutshell this is the part of the micro that lets you communicate with external serial devices. Whether it is a serial port, SPI port, I2C, you would use the UART for this. Now in the PIC's, they have what is called an AUSART, which is an Advanced USART, that is what allows other serial coms other than com ports...SPI, I2C...etc.

When it comes to HW vs SW UARTS, most PICs have a HW USART, sometimes two. Using the HW port would allow you to TX/RX while you are doing other things. Whereas the SW UARTs require you to stop whatever you are doing to handle the commnications. VIA software, you are mimicking what a HW port would do.

As for NMEA and coding of it for the PIC's, use the search function of this site. There are a TON of posts about it.

Good Luck.
_________________
A HW Engineer 'trying' to do SW !!! Run!!!